US midterms: Democrats lead polls as Trump cancels two rallies

With four days remaining before the United States midterm elections, Democrats lead Republicans in national polls, 51.4 percent to 43.2 percent, according to RealClearPolling — an 8.2 percentage point advantage. Both parties are making final pushes, while President Donald Trump has cancelled two weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa and will instead hold telephone rallies across nearly 20 states.

Polling and economic concerns

Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s declining approval ratings and economic worries are alarming Republicans. The latest Marquette poll, conducted in Wisconsin from October 14 to October 22 and released on October 28, put Trump’s approval at 37 percent and disapproval at 61 percent. Only 16 percent of respondents said they were better off financially than a year ago; 42 percent said they were worse off and 42 percent said things were about the same.

Franklin said Democrats are more enthusiastic and more certain they will vote, giving them an important edge and reflecting Republican disappointment in national conditions. In Arizona, a retiree told Al Jazeera that grocery costs had become a major concern.

In Texas, Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton 49 percent to 43 percent in a CNN survey released Thursday. In Michigan, the same pollster found Democrat Abdul El-Sayed ahead of Republican Mike Rogers 49 percent to 42 percent. Franklin cautioned that polls are not perfect predictions and close races could go either way due to polling errors or late voter movement.

Alaska Senate dispute

In Alaska, a legal dispute could delay the Senate result after ballots close on November 3. The dispute centres on two candidates named Dan Sullivan: the incumbent Republican senator and an independent candidate with the same name who is also registered as a Republican. Trump accused Democrats of recruiting the independent candidate to confuse voters and take support from the Republican senator, calling it “a scheme” and “total election fraud.” The Justice Department has taken legal action, while Democrat Mary Peltola denied the accusations, saying it was a diversion from affordability issues.

Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher said the dispute could have consequences beyond Alaska if control of the Senate depends on the result, and the outcome might not be known for days or weeks after November 3.

Campaign trail

Trump travelled to South Carolina to campaign for Republican senator Darline Graham, sister of the late Lindsey Graham, who is running against Annie Andrews. In Rock Hill, he urged supporters to vote and asked the crowd to pretend he was on the ballot. Vice President JD Vance rallied in Weatherford, Texas, with Paxton. Former President Barack Obama spoke in Georgia for Senator Jon Ossoff, criticising Trump’s economic management and his approach to the war with Iran. Ossoff’s Republican opponent, Mike Collins, said Obama’s visit showed Ossoff’s desperation.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris joined Ossoff at Clark Atlanta University and campaigned in Macon, criticising the Trump administration over rising living costs. Trump is still scheduled to rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday at 23:00 GMT, while Harris is due to address the Fulton County Democratic Party’s dinner in Atlanta. A planned Vance news conference in St Cloud, Minnesota, was cancelled on Thursday with no reason immediately given.

Source: Al Jazeera.